US 4,450,740 AGranted

Rotary envelope cutting apparatus

AssigneeWestvaco Corporation

InventorsWilliam A. Chapman, Jr., John J. Crowley

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Abstract

A rotary envelope machine blank cutter is provided with laterally adjustable, independent frame units for each meshing set of knife rolls for changing the depth of a side cut into a blank for envelope size and style production changes. The rotational and axial meshing of hard and soft knives respective to a single knife roll set is adjusted without disturbing the roll mount of either knife. Changes in envelope length or style are accommodated by the mechanical capacity to adjust the rotation cut timing between the knife roll sets of a two-set unit and also between respective cutting units of two or more two-set units. As in the case of lateral cut adjustments, knife roll mounts are undisturbed by rotational timing adjustments. Consequently, the machine may be quickly and accurately changed for production runs of any of several envelope style and several sizes respective to each style: all adjustments being made without disturbing the knife profile mesh of any knife set.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A sheet material converting machine having rotary cutting means for shaping product blanks of such material comprising:

A. A series plurality of rotary cutting roll sets, each set mounted in respectively independent frame means collectively supported by primary machine frame means;
B. Transverse displacement means between each said independent frame means and said primary machine frame means for transversely adjusting the cutting position of each roll set relative to a longitudinal movement direction of product blanks through said converting machine;
C. Primary drive line means to synchronously drive two adjustable cutting roll sets as a cooperative pair for sequentially making transversely opposite and longitudinally aligned side cuts in a particular product blank progressing through said converting machine;
D. One roll of each cutting roll set having female cutting die means secured thereto and corresponding male cutting die means secured to the other roll of a respective set, said male and female dies meshing together rotatively with a lapped fit of respective shear cutting edges for cutting a section of product blank therefrom when positioned between said meshing dies;
E. A first stub shaft respective to one roll of each set being driven from a second stub shaft respective to the other roll of said set by meshing drive gears secured respectively to said first and second stub shafts, the drive gear respective to said first shaft being carried concentrically thereon by a flanged hub that is nonrotatively secured to said first stub shaft, the flange of said hub including means to adjust and secure the angular position of said first shaft drive gear relative to said first shaft for angular adjustment of the meshing lap fit of cutting dies secured to said set rolls;
and
F. Bearing means for anti-frictionally supporting one axial end of said one roll of said set, said bearing means being radially and axially secured about said first stub shaft and radially and axially secured within an adjustment sleeve means, said adjustment sleeve means being threadably received by respective independent frame means whereby thread advancement of said sleeve means axially translates said one roll of said set relative to said other roll for axial adjustment of the meashing lap fit of cutting dies secured to said set rolls.

4 more elements

A rotary cutting apparatus for sheet material having a set of rolls respective to each of four sequential cuts in a blank sheet shaping sequence, the first pair of such four sequential roll sets making a first set of laterally opposite, substantially longitudinally aligned side cuts with respect to a longitudinal movement direction of said sheet material through said cutting apparatus, the second pair of such four roll sets making a second set of laterally opposite, substantially longitudinally aligned side cuts with respect to said sheet movement direction, said second cut set being longitudinally separated from said first cut set, each of said roll sets having a matched set of cutting dies with a male die secured to one roll of a set and a female die secured to the other roll of a set, each die with non-linear cutting edges having both longitudinal and lateral dimensional components in the cutting edge periphery with respect to said sheet movement direction, each roll set and respective cutting die set being rotatively driven in angular synchronism to lap the shear cutting edges of one die to the shear cutting edges of the other die with a meshing engagement, all four of said roll sets being synchronously driven by a primary drive line, both pair of said roll sets being driven by respective secondary drive lines operatively disposed between said primary drive line and a drive divider gear common to both roll sets of a respective pair, each divider gear being engaged with one roll shaft drive gear respective to each cutting roll set in the commonly driven pair, said one roll shaft drive gear driving another roll shaft drive gear respective to the other roll in each cutting roll set, and coupling means in one of said secondary drive lines whereby one pair of roll sets may be rotationally displaced relative to the other pair of roll sets without disturbing the cut register between roll sets of either pair to adjust the longitudinal separation between said first and second sets of laterally opposite side cuts in a given blank.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.